Enterovirus activity likely to peak late June

TAIPEI--The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Saturday warned of the growing enterovirus threat as the disease is expected to peak in Taiwan in late June.

There have been four cases of enterovirus infection with severe complications in Taiwan so far this year, with Coxsackie A virus being the dominant strain of enterovirus circulating around the country, the CDC said.

The latest patient was an 18-month-old Taiwanese boy, who has recovered after developing a fever and having seizure-like symptoms in late May.

It is likely that he got infected either in public areas or through family members, the agency said.

The CDC urged the public to pay special attention to their personal hygiene as the number of enterovirus patients seeking emergency treatment in Taiwan continues to grow, indicating that the disease has become more prevalent.

A surge in enterovirus cases in neighboring countries this year has made prevention more challenging for Taiwan, according to the agency. China, for instance, has reported over 1.2 million infections as of early June, up 200 percent compared with the same period last year.

More enterovirus cases have also been seen in Singapore, Thailand and South Korea, the CDC said.